New York Army National Guard members honored to be serving at inauguration

By Danielle Sanzone

Thursday, January 17, 2013

WATERVLIET -- While most people would prefer not to work on Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, 40 members of the New York Army and Air National Guard consider it both a privilege and an honor since they will be serving at the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

"It's exciting," said Lt. Col. Jim Cahill, deputy personnel officer for the New York Army National Guard, who will be coordinating efforts with military members being sent from 25 states. "It's an honor to work at this historic event and great that New York is sending so many from the New York National Guard to support the activities."

Cahill said this will be his first time working at an inauguration.

With 26 years in the National Guard, he was deployed to Afghanistan in 2004 and Iraq in 2008. He joined the military, he said, because he thought it was an opportunity to serve. He added that he had always been interested in doing so, especially since his older brother also served.

Cahill, who volunteered to work the inauguration, will act as a liaison officer. "I'll get to share information with what we do in New York with other states and catch up with old colleagues and friends," he explained.

A graduate of Catholic Central in Troy, he lives in Clifton Park and is slated to be married next month.

He plans to leave the area Friday for the inauguration.

There will be about 6,000 National Guardsmen at the inauguration. From New York, there are nine explosive ordnance disposal specialists, 17 military intelligence specialists from the Rainbow Division in Troy, two logistics specialists, and a photojournalist.

During Inauguration Week events, the National Guard will be responsible for crowd management, traffic control, communications, logistics, security assistance, medical support, public affairs and ceremonial duties. The Guard Soldiers and Airmen will be housed in area armories and military facilities, officials said.

The Rome-based Eastern Air Defense Sector is also responsible for the Air Defense of the National Capitol District and New York Air National Guard members will be monitoring the airspace during the event.